If you've ever tried to get your puppy's attention while another dog walks by or while kids are

out running or when a leaf dares to move across the sidewalk, then today's episode is for you.

We are talking about focus, not obedience, not control, but engagement.

Because the truth is, a focused puppy is a teachable puppy.

Welcome to the puppy training podcast. I'm Amy Jensen, founder of Baxter

and Bella, the online puppy school. Here we are all about helping you create the best

possible experience raising a puppy, from training tips to practical tricks, all aimed at

fostering a happy, well-behaved dog who truly feels like part of the

family. So if you are ready to enjoy the journey and strengthen the bond with your dog, let's get

started. Hey everybody, welcome to the puppy training podcast. I'm your host Amy Jensen. And I know many of you have a new dog at your house. And you might be surprised at how hard it is to keep their attention for very long. Their attention spans are so short when they are young. So today's episode, we were talking all about it. How do we get your puppy's attention?

Here's the big idea that we're building on today. Focus is a muscle. It's something that we have to

work on because just like any other muscle, it has to be trained gradually, consistently,

and with the right level of challenge. We don't want to frustrate our puppies. We want to

encourage them. So let's talk about why puppies struggle with distractions, what focus really

means, and how to build it step by step without frustration for you or your dog. Let's start

with something important. Your puppy isn't being stubborn or ignoring you on purpose. It kind of looks like that sometimes,

and I hear that from people, but they're just biologically wired to notice movement, sounds,

novelty, and other living things. So that's how they learn about the world. When your puppy

stops listening because there's another dog around or they ignore their

name at the park or they lose all interest in food when they're ever there outside, that doesn't

mean training has failed. It means the environment is louder than your relationship for now.

It's more rewarding to your puppy than your relationship right now. So distractions don't erase training.

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